The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Gerstein, M. (2003). The man who walked between the towers. Brooksfield, CT: Roaring Book Press.

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2004

 

Exposition (the beginning of the story, establishment of setting and characters):  The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein tells the story of Philippe Petit, a street performer who loved to walk and dance on a tight rope, and his quest to walk on a tight rope between the two World Trade Center towers in New York City in 1974.

Conflict (the problem(s) faced by the characters):  Philippe was not allowed to walk on a tight rope between the two towers, so he was faced with the difficulty of finding a way to the roof and performing his quest without anyone finding out what he was doing.   

Rising Action (events in the story leading up to the climax):  Philippe and some friends loaded their equipment on an elevator and climbed the 180 stairs to one of the tower’s roofs one night after everyone had gone home; then they worked together to get everything set up for Philippe’s feat.

Climax (the culmination of events in the story, point of highest reader interest):  After dressing in his black shirt and tights and picking up his 28 foot balancing pole, Philippe stepped onto the tight rope and walked on the wire, feeling alone and happy and free, like he was walking on air itself (Gerstein, 2003).

Falling Action (events leading to the solving of the story’s problems):  Philippe walked, danced, and ran back and forth on the rope for almost an hour, while police officers tried to get him to come down.

Resolution (how events and problems of the story are solved): When he felt completely satisfied, Philippe walked back to the roof where he was arrested and taken to court, and a judge sentenced him to perform in the park for the children of the city, which he did happily.

Picture books only (Was this a well illustrated book? Describe how it was or was not well-illustrated in 3 sentences.):  Mordicai Gerstein also illustrated this book and he used lightly drawn colored pencil drawings to help tell Philippe Petit’s story.  One of the most beautiful illustrations was the one of the Notre Dame Cathedral where Philippe had once danced between its steeples.  Another lovely illustration is the picture of Philippe performing for the children in the park at the end of the book; the colors are more vibrant in this picture which seems to be a reflection of Philippe’s positive feelings about his so-called punishment.